Interesting facts about South America for children. Interesting facts about South America. Nature of South America. Facts about South America

South America is a large continent that is located in the Western and Southern hemispheres of the Earth, and a small part of it is located in the Northern. Quiet and atlantic oceans wash its shores. History, culture and even civilization developed here in their own way. Therefore, we present to your attention the most exciting, incredible and interesting facts about South America.

1. Part of the territory of South America was discovered by the Spanish navigator Columbus. He was the first to know about the presence of a large continent. Christopher Columbus's theory that water becomes fresher only when a river flows into the sea was confirmed in 1492.
2. The most big country South America - Brazil. It is famous for its magnificent carnivals and performances of various samba schools.

3. The most big river in the world flows through this continent. The Amazon has more than half a thousand tributaries.
4. Angel - this is the name of the most high waterfall in the world. It is located in the South American country of Venezuela. The height of the waterfall is more than 1000 meters. This miracle of nature is located in hard-to-reach places, so not everyone can be lucky enough to see it.

5. The highest capital on Earth is located in Bolivia. The city of La Paz is located at an altitude of 3-4 kilometers!
6. Machu Picchu is the highest mountain city of antiquity. It was built by Indian tribes in the Andes Mountains, Peru. Nowadays, Machu Picchu is one of the most impressive attractions in the whole world.

7. Interesting Facts o South America reveals the secret of longevity of the inhabitants of its coastal countries. According to scientists, eating fresh seafood and unique natural conditions continent contribute to the development of mental potential and strengthening the health of people.
8. Did you know that the South American country of Venezuela was named after European city Venice? Florentine traveler Amerigo Vespucci, having studied the principles of construction of Venezuela (a system of canals, houses on stilts, on water), discovered similarities with Venice. This is where the name of the whole country in South America came from.

9. Off the coast of this continent is the natural lighthouse Itzalko (or Izalko), known to sailors all over the world. In fact, it is a volcano, about 2 kilometers high. Every 8 minutes, magma pours out here and a 300-meter column of smoke rises. The reliability of such a beacon has been tested by the continuous 200-year operation of the volcano.
10. In the northern part of the state of Chile there is a unique Atacama Desert. It is interesting because for 400 years there was absolutely no precipitation here. For this reason, the air humidity in the driest planet is Globe is 0%, and the local mountains, despite the impressive height of 7 kilometers, do not have ice caps. Imagine the surprise local residents, when in 2010 nature gifted the lifeless desert lands with snowdrifts in May.

11. Indigenous Indian tribes still live in the highlands of Peru and Bolivia.
12. South America is the habitat of the world's largest beetles (woodcutter beetles), the most poisonous frogs (Red-backed poison frog, Spotted dart frog, Bicolor phyllomedusa, Little dart frog and others), the smallest monkeys (marmosets), the largest butterflies (butterfly -agrippina), the most dangerous fish (piranha).

13. The Colombian river Caño Cristales is considered one of the most beautiful and unusual in the whole world. What makes it unique is the large number of colorful algae. Like red, yellow and green threads, they fill the pond with amazing shades.
14. In the South American country of Paraguay, duels still take place (and are allowed).

15. Summer Panama hats were invented in Ecuador, and not in Panama, as one might logically think.

Amazing video about South America:

South America this is a part of the mainland that contains a lot of interesting and educational things, a unique culture, population and natural complex. Thousands of tourists strive to travel here.

Columbus, who discovered part of the territories of South America, was the first to conclude that there was a continent somewhere nearby. He determined this by the salinity of the water, since less salty water speaks of the river flowing into the sea, and quite big river, which means the presence of a large continent.

The largest country on the continent is Brazil with its capital Rio de Janeiro. The city will be replaced by the largest carnivals in the world.

The main event of each carnival takes place at the "sambadrome", where schools perform " sambas».

Across the entire territory Brazil the greatest river in the world flows Amazon, which has more than 500 tributaries.

The tallest waterfall in the world, Angel Falls, is located in southeastern Venezuela. The height of the waterfall is 1054 meters. Local Indians call it "Apemey" or maiden's eyebrow, and it is located in one of the most inaccessible places on earth.

A Bolivia most famous the high altitude capital of the world La Paz, located at an altitude of 3250-4100 meters.

The highest ancient city built by Indians in the Andes is called Machu Picchu and is located in Peru.

There are many amazing things hidden in the unique nature of this continent.

So animal capybara was too mysterious, and the inhabitants of the mainland asked the Pope for permission to eat it as fish during Lent. The trick of the capybara is that this animal periodically lives either in water or on land. And the most giant snake An anaconda is able to easily deal with a caiman.

Here interesting video about calibar filmed at the zoo

Here are more interesting facts about South America. Many scientists suggest that the continent's natural conditions contribute to the development of talents and minds, and that eating certain South American foods prolongs life.

A country like Venezuela, was named after such a well-known corner of the world as Venice. Amerigo Vespucci, studying the territory of the country, saw a similar construction principle as in Venice - houses on stilts and on the water. It reminded him of a system of canals and floating houses, hence the name Venezuela.

Interesting video about Venezuela

Many tourists flock to South American countries see memorable natural landscapes, unusual animals, birds, fish and tropical butterflies, and also get to know the life of the local population.

Other interesting facts about South America and its countries in the documentary " Andean Wildlife - Andes Mountains, South America(Documentary)"

Peru is considered the most interesting and vibrant country in South America. The vast majority of tourists from other countries come to Brazil and here on the continent. It is in Peru that the center of the former Inca Empire is located. It is here that it is worth seeing all the numerous UNESCO-listed ruins left by the ancient civilization.

But ruins are not the only good thing about Peru. In terms of the brightness, diversity and originality of local life, among all the countries of the two Americas, Peru will be at the top of the list. I’ll even tell you that you don’t have to look at any ruins in Peru at all, and the impressions from what you see will last for many years.

Of course, you know the picture in the title photo as well as I do. Even those who have never been to South America know it. This is the abandoned Incan city of Machu Picchu, miraculously preserved to this day.

The ruins are a symbol not only of Peru, but actually of the entire continent. Attract hundreds of thousands if not millions of tourists every year. And most people who had never been to SA asked me: “Have you been to Machu Picchu?” Of course it was, despite the extreme overtourism and my not-so-special love for ruins, this place is really impressive... But that’s not why Peru is valuable. With what? More on this later.

It's probably worth starting with the fact that Peru is incredibly diverse. The country is divided into three zones: coastal desert, Andes and Amazonian jungle.

Actually, this is a standard division for many South American countries: Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela, partly Bolivia... Peru is not unique in this. Moreover, these three zones differ not only in nature, they are completely different in everything. In particular, they are inhabited by completely different people, different traditions and customs, different villages and urban development... In general, the only things they have in common are national flags on buildings, currency and food. And so, it’s like three different countries.

In general, I must say, it is difficult to say which of the three parts of Peru is more interesting. But let's start with the Andes.

The Andes, as in other similar countries, are inhabited mainly by Quechua Indians. They dress quite flamboyantly, especially the women. But they really don’t like being photographed.

Local Peruvian women often have very long braids

Aunties often carry colorful bags, which can contain everything from groceries to children. The Quechuas in the mountainous part of Bolivia look about the same

In general, the style of clothing differs markedly from province to province. The aunts above are from the highest mountainous provinces of Puno and Cusco (exactly those adjacent to Bolivia). But in Arequipa and the surrounding area, these types of hats and dresses are popular.

Such variegated colors are not observed in other provinces of Peru.

And such outfits are common in the vicinity of Cusco (but not in Cusco itself)

The Andinsky part of the country is unique in that most of it lies at altitudes from 2500 to 4500 m, and all of it is quite densely populated. In few countries people are able to live at such altitudes, but in South America in general this is quite the norm (the Amazon, which lies at 0 m, is ten times less populated).

The most interesting, the most ancient and the most beautiful city not only Peru, but, perhaps, throughout South America - Cusco. 3400 m. I’ll tell you about it separately sometime

Antiquity emanates everywhere here...

City of Puno and Lake Titicaca. The highest regional center of Peru (3800 m)

Lake Titicaca - in itself unique lake, the largest alpine lake in the world (and the highest navigable lake, but this is no longer a fact). In addition, it is the second largest lake in South America (after Maracaibo). By the way, next to Puno is located the whole city on floating islands. Indigenous people have lived here for several hundred years.

The Peruvian Andes are enchantingly beautiful. However, as is known" better than the mountains there can only be mountains..", and comparing the Andes in different parts of the continent is a thankless task (by the way, I liked the Chilean-Argentinean ones the most)

The Peruvian Andes are complemented by numerous Inca ruins. Unlike other places, where they look rather pathetic, here everything is much better preserved. They are mainly concentrated around Cusco, this place is called Sacred Valley . Yes, yes, more than one Machu Picche is alive in Peru :)

Canyon del Colca- most deep canyon in the world. A great way to go “to the mountains” in reverse. First, you spend half a day descending and descending, and then, tired, you begin to climb... The sensations, to be honest, are the most terrible.

The most popular animals in the Andes are llamas and alpacas.

Alpacas are a type of llama, a very cute and soft animal. :)

As I said, the main people here are Quechua Indians. Almost everyone here can speak Spanish, but many communicate with each other in Quechua. This language can be heard from time to time, but there are basically no signs in it, even though it has official status in these parts. Closer to the border with Chile live the smaller Aymara Indian ethnic group.

We smoothly descend from the mountains towards the coast. Most of the coastal zone is a bleak desert

The desert begins in Chile, stretches from south to north across almost the entire country..

Only in the north, in the province of Tumbes, near the border with Ecuador, do some semblance of green fields begin...

In the very middle of the coastal zone is the capital of the country - Lima.

The city is ancient and has a beautiful center. But quite nasty, tense and dangerous

About 40 percent of the city's territory is filled with slums.

In the desert part of Peru, tourists are usually attracted by the lines Nazca, which were drawn many thousands of years ago and are visible from airplanes, and all sorts of sea animals in the reserve Paracas. We didn’t go there or there (we’ve already seen penguins and fur seals more than once, but there wasn’t much interest in watching the line, especially since it’s expensive, and according to reviews, it’s not particularly impressive..). Therefore, instead - rock art in a city bordering Chile Tacna.

There is nothing special in Takna itself except for the railway. a museum where you can go and be filled with hatred towards the Peruvians for the fact that they have wasted almost the entire railway, that it can only be seen in museums, and the exhibits in this museum are sometimes in a terrible state.

A city worth visiting Trujillo, located north of Lima. Ancient, with a small historical center

More interesting than Trujillo itself are its surroundings. Firstly, Chan-Chan- a city made of sand, built by the pre-Inca Chimu civilization. Yes, it wasn’t just the Incas who left ruins in Peru...

In addition to Chan-Chan himself, there are several similar to him nearby small pyramids, some of which were built by the same civilization, and some by a slightly earlier one (Moche). Also near Trujillo there is the main Peruvian seaside resort Huanchaco.

Despite the abundance of people, the place is quite pleasant.

Very popular with surfers

Throughout the coastal part of Peru, it is almost impossible to meet women or men in national clothes and Indian grandmothers with long braids, as is common in the Andes. People dress more traditionally here. modern world, in Lima it’s generally like that - very civilized.

Although I did meet one grandmother with a braid in Lima in Miraflores. Probably coming from the mountains.

But the most beautiful part of Peru, in my opinion, is the Amazon!

Everything east of the Andinsky ridge is a dense, impenetrable jungle. They occupy approximately half the country's area, but only a few percent of the population lives here. It is surprising that in the Andes, where there is a lack of oxygen and cold, living conditions are still better than here.

In general, this is typical for all countries of the continent that overlook the Amazon basin. The jungle is the wildest and least inhabited part of each of these countries. There are almost no roads here - all communication is only by rivers or by air. There is practically no major cities- some villages along the rivers.

For me, the Amazon is beautiful and amazing throughout its entire length. Perhaps this was our strongest impression during our entire year-long journey. To be honest, I can’t wait to get around to writing reports on it. So that you yourself can appreciate how cool and interesting it is there.. But the Peruvian Amazon is the coolest and most original of all.

This is generally a unique, in my opinion, corner of the world, where civilization, due to the lack of roads and poverty of the country, has practically not been able to penetrate. It has its own laws and traditions, its own Amazonian way of life, unlike anything else.

For example, many houses here have neither windows nor doors - just openings. Maybe because of poverty, or maybe because it’s not really needed - summer is here almost all year round

Here, too, you won’t meet aunts in Andin outfits, largely because the climate here is completely different.. But this does not make the color any less.

By the way, the Quechua language is also native to many here. Only here it is called “Kichua”, and the local dialect differs from Andinsky.

Many houses in cities and villages stand on stilts right next to the water. Convenient because the boat is often the main transport and source of everything

City Iquitos- state capital Loreto and, in fact, the entire Peruvian Amazon. It is notable for the fact that it is the largest city in the world (400 thousand) which cannot be reached by road.

Because of this, its streets have unique traffic, consisting of 90-95% motorcycles and motorcycle taxis. I think it’s unlikely that anywhere else in the world this can be found.. Indeed, why buy a car, because you can’t really get anywhere from here..

The river is in many ways the main source of food here. This can be clearly seen from the contents of market stalls.

There are no particularly outstanding attractions in the Amazon; people mainly come here to see the wild Amazonian nature. But for me, local life here in itself is no less an interesting attraction than any ancient ruins.

The three different parts of Peru also differ in many ways. For example, the poorest and cheapest regions of the country are the Andes (provinces of Cusco, Puno, Junin, Abancay, etc.). Prices here will be lower than in other regions. It will be a little more expensive on the coast (Tacna, Ica, Trujillo), and even more expensive in Lima itself. And the most expensive region due to inaccessibility is the Amazon (specifically Loreto). At the same time, the mountainous part is the most safe place in the country. It will be a little worse in the jungle, but the coastal cities are famous high level crime, especially Lima.

Here, in a nutshell, is the diverse country of Peru. Now, here are a few common features common to all zones.

Peru is a rather poor country. In terms of living standards and prices, it is second only to Bolivia (although Venezuela has recently overtaken everyone in terms of cheapness). In connection with this, a large percentage of residents live very modestly, many live on subsistence farming, work a lot in the fields, etc.

Many people, especially in villages, have only the bare essentials for life.

Essentially, Peru is a classic 3rd world country.

In cities, many neighborhoods look like in neighboring countries they look like slums... In practice, these are slums, chaotic self-construction. But a lot of people live like this here.

In some cases, the facades are painted (sometimes tinted glass is also inserted for show off), and the sides are left unpainted. This is also widespread in neighboring Ecuador. Looks disgusting..

At the same time, Peru is a real Latin America. Peruvians are very musical, they love to hold all sorts of carnivals, processions, including military marches

Military bands often march right through the city. Well, not only the military - any ensembles or orchestras can just stand and play. For some reason, wind instruments are especially popular. I directly remembered my childhood, the ensemble named after. Lokteva..

Even a small town may have a few well-stocked music stores.

Or a street performance...

In general, urban transport in Peru is very, very bad. There is one metro line in Lima, and a metrobus line with some branches there. In general, city transport looks something like this

Intercity is significantly better. It is possible to travel on comfortable double-decker Marcopolo buses, popular throughout South America, and the fare is not very expensive. And here Railway remained only for tourists, and at insane prices..

And so, Peru is a very tasty country! Perhaps the most delicious on the entire continent. Peruvian cuisine is generally widely known outside the country. I'm constantly drooling remembering her...

It is South America that is home to many animals and plants that are now distributed throughout the world. These lands were once inhabited by numerous Indian tribes, but European colonialists destroyed the culture of many of them, trying to reshape the new lands in their own way. Some corners of the South American continent are still practically unexplored due to their inaccessibility, and, quite possibly, they still hide many secrets.

Facts about South America

Part of the South American continent is located in the Northern Hemisphere of the Earth.
South America is often called Latin, which is completely wrong. South America is geographical definition, and Latin - ethnographic.
In all South American countries, except Brazil, Suriname and Guyana, Spanish has the status of an official language.
The largest city in South America is the Brazilian metropolis of Sao Paulo ().
Most South American countries are unsafe to some extent, especially big cities. The most crime-free country on the continent is the Republic of Chile.
South America is home to the world's wettest locality- Colombian town of Buenaventura.
An interesting fact: the driest of the hot deserts in the world, the Chilean Atacama ().
South America is home to the highest capital in the world, La Paz. Strictly speaking, the city of Sucre is officially considered the capital of Bolivia, but de facto it is La Paz that performs this function.
The total area of South America is only slightly larger than the area of Russia.
There are four times more people living in China than in the entire South American continent ().
Among all South American countries, the population of Peru is the least educated. Every tenth Peruvian is not literate.
It is through South America that the Amazon, the greatest river in the world, flows. And beneath it, at a depth of many kilometers, flows the largest underground river in the world.
The first European to visit South America was Christopher Columbus ().
Only this continent is home to anacondas, the largest snakes in the world.
The most popular sport in all South American countries without exception is football. Thus, the Brazilian national team holds the record for the number of victories at the World Championships.
Guiana is located in South America, de jure part of France. Even the euro is in use here.
There are a total of 12 independent countries on this continent, the largest of which are Brazil and Argentina.

Venezuela's Lake Maracaibo is the largest among the continent's lakes, as well as the second oldest on the entire planet - it is many millions of years old.
South America is home to the world's tallest waterfall, Angel Falls. Its waters cascade from a height of more than a kilometer.
In South American Bolivia, Uyuni is located, the world's largest salt flat, which is a dry salt lake.
Another remarkable lake in South America is Titicaca. It is surprising for two facts: it is the highest navigable lake in the world (almost 4 kilometers above sea level!), and there are ocean fish that are unknown how they got here.
Volcano Ojos Del Salado is the highest active volcano not only in South America, but throughout the world. It is located on the border of Chile and Argentina ().
South America's Colca Canyon is the deepest in the world. Its depth is twice the size of the Grand Canyon in the United States.
In South America there is the Licancabur volcano, in the crater of which, at an altitude of almost 6 kilometers, there is one of the highest lakes in the world. Most of the year it is covered with ice.
The most lightning in the world strikes one place in the world, located precisely in South America, at the confluence of the Catatumbo River into Lake Maracaibo. On average, there are from 70 to 200 thunderstorm days annually, and about 250 lightning strikes per square kilometer of space per year ().
The South American Iguazu Falls complex is one of the seven natural wonders Sveta.
Located in South America, the Republic of Chile is the narrowest and most southern country peace. Its southern border is separated from Antarctica by a distance of only 900 kilometers.
The South American forests are home to the world's largest beetles, the world's most poisonous frogs, the largest snakes, the largest butterflies, the most dangerous fish and the smallest monkeys.
Even though only one country in South America speaks Portuguese, there are more Portuguese speakers on the continent than Spanish speakers. The languages spoken here are also Quechua, Guarani, Aymara and Araucanian.
Pool area three largest rivers South America - the Amazon, Parana and Orinoco - covers more than half the area of the entire continent.
Among all the earth's continents, South America is the wettest.
In the Chilean city of Calama there has been no rain for about 400 years ().
A third of the total population of South America is under 15 years of age.
Millions of years ago, this continent was one with Australia, Antarctica and Africa.
A fair proportion of the population of South America are descendants of Europeans. Mostly Spanish. Italians, French, Germans, Greeks and Croats. In addition, about 1 million Ukrainians and their direct descendants live in Brazil alone.

Brazil is a country dotted with beautiful beaches and even more beautiful people. It boasts some of the most amazing beautiful scenery, tasty dishes and impressive-looking (and strong) cocktails.

Brazil is to coffee lovers what Italy is to pizza lovers, as the country is the largest exporter of almost everyone's favorite morning drink. However, in addition to coffee, beautiful women and drinks, Brazil has a huge variety to offer the adventurous traveler.

For hundreds of years, Brazilian culture has been an exquisite blend of ethnic traditions and stunning artistry. It gave birth to some of the most recognizable masterpieces of music and dance, including bossa nova, samba and capoeira. This country is also widely known as a leader in football. Her team has won the FIFA World Cup a record five times: 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, and 2002. So it's fair to assume that you'll want to know more about this popular and frequently visited South American country. We present to your attention 25 interesting facts about Brazil.

25. The word “Brazil”, which means “red as coal”, comes from the Brazil tree (caesalpinia). These trees, which produce a dark red dye, once grew in abundance along the Brazilian coast. Caesalpinia wood was prized by European traders who arrived from the Portuguese coast in the sixteenth century to trade with the Tupí-Guaraní Indians.

24. The Portuguese officially named Brazil "Terra do Santa Cruz" (Land of the Holy Cross), but traders simply called it "Terra do Brasil".

23. Brazil is the sixth largest country in the world with a population of 200 million people and the fifth largest land area. Its area is 8,514,877 square kilometers. It is also the largest country in South America.

22. The Amazon rainforest is the largest in the world and contains one fifth of the world's fresh water. It also produces a third of the Earth's oxygen. About sixty percent of the Amazon is in Brazil.

21. Brazil is the largest Portuguese-speaking country in the world and the only one in the Americas, as the rest speak Spanish.

20. Brazil is home to the world's most famous carnival: Carnival of Rio de Janeiro, often called "the world's biggest party."

19. National football team Brazil is one of the most successful in the world when it comes to the World Cup. They won five times: in 1958, 1962, 1970, 1994 and 2002.

18. Brazil has more than four thousand airports, making it the second country in the world in terms of the number of airports, second only to the United States.

17. The flag of Brazil is one of the most well-known, but not many understand its meaning: the green color represents the forests of Brazil, the yellow diamond represents its mineral wealth, and the blue circle and stars represent the sky over Rio de Janeiro on the morning of November 15, 1889 when Brazil declared itself a republic.

16. It is believed that during the slave trade, about four million slaves were transported from Africa to Brazil, which is about forty-five percent of all slaves brought to the Americas. In other words, contrary to popular belief, Brazil had more slaves than the United States.

15. This year will go down in history as the first South American city to host Summer Olympic Games and the second city in Latin America, which will host the event after Mexico City in 1968.

14. Brazil was the first country to ban tanning salons and the purchase or sale of tanning equipment. This law was the result of the work of the World Health Organization, which classified indoor tanning beds as a level 1 carcinogen, along with plutonium and cigarettes.

13. Since 2008, gender reassignment surgeries have been performed here free of charge, in accordance with the rules of the Brazilian public health system.

12. The country's most famous slogan is “Ordem e Progresso,” which means “order and progress.”

11. Bossa Nova is a genre of Brazilian music that originated and was popularized in the 1950s and 60s. On this moment it is one of the most famous Brazilian music genres abroad. "The Girl From Ipanema" is the most famous bossa nova song: it became an international hit in the mid-1960s, winning a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965.

10. Brazil's national drink, which has become one of the most famous exotic cocktails in most parts of the West over the past few years, is the caipirinha, which is a sugarcane liqueur called cachaça mixed in a glass with sugar, ice and squeezed lime slices.

9. In the 1980s, Brazil became the first South American country to begin accepting women into the armed forces.

8. Brazil boasts the most large in number Catholics in the world, they make up sixty-six percent of the population or 130 million people.

7. For 150 years, Brazil has been largest exporter in the world. In the 1920s it supplied about eighty percent of the world's coffee, but that figure has now fallen to about a third.

6. Believe it or not, Osama Bin Laden-themed bars are quite popular in Brazil. By the way, there is a bar there called “Bar do Bin Laden in São Paulo” (Bin Laden’s Bar in Sao Paulo), owned by Osama’s double. There is also a bar called “Caverna do Bin Laden” (Bin Laden’s Cave), which is located a few kilometers from Rio de Janeiro.

5. In the 1959 city council elections in Sao Paulo, Cacareco, a five-year-old female rhinoceros from the local zoo, surprisingly won. Not only did she win, but she did so by a large margin, receiving 100,000 votes (fifteen percent of the total).

4. On January 27, 1763, the colonial administration of Portuguese America was moved from El Salvador to Rio de Janeiro. The city remained largely a colonial capital until 1808, when the Portuguese royal family and most of its associated nobles moved to Rio de Janeiro from Lisbon to escape Napoleon's invasion of Portugal. This event made Rio de Janeiro the only European capital in history outside of Europe.

3. Brazil was the only independent South American country to send ground troops for battles in World War II, equipping more than 25,000 soldiers.

2. Brazil distributes breast milk throughout the country to babies whose mothers cannot provide it for them.

1. Brazilian prisoners can reduce their prison sentence by four days for every book they read and write a report on. In other words, the Brazilian prison system is diligently trying to educate its prisoners.

It might be useful to read: